Santa Cruz Local newsletter briefs for the week of Feb. 5:
MARCH 5 ELECTION
Explainer: Measure K, county sales tax
Measure K is a proposed sales tax hike that would raise about $10 million annually from July 2025 forward. The General Fund was about $740 million in Fiscal Year 2023-2024. (Stephen Baxter — Santa Cruz Local file)
In the March 5 election, Measure K will ask Santa Cruz County voters whether to raise the sales tax in unincorporated parts of the county to 9.5% from 9%.
- The tax hike would start July 1 and raise about $10 million annually.
- Legally, the money could be used for any purpose in the county’s General Fund.
- County supervisors pledged to spend the increased tax revenue on housing, workforce retention, homeless services, climate resiliency, county parks, road repair, infrastructure projects and other county services.
Santa Cruz County voters last approved a county sales tax hike in 2018 with Measure G.
- Measure G promised audited spending on emergency response, county parks and local roads, but there have been no audits, according to a 2022 Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury report.
Read more about Measure K
MARCH 5 ELECTION
Campaign money tallied in local races
The District 3 Santa Cruz City Council candidates are Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson, left, and Joy Schendledecker. (Contributed)
For the March 5 election, state, county and city governments recently reported campaign donations from Jan. 1-20. Santa Cruz Local has compiled the money and donors in Santa Cruz Local’s Election Guide.
District 1 Santa Cruz County Supervisor candidate donations as of Jan. 20
- Lani Faulkner: $72,029
- Manu Koenig: $74,069
District 3 Santa Cruz City Council candidate donations as of Jan. 20
- Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson: $25,722
- Joy Schendledecker: $6,970
Read more about campaign money
MARCH 5 ELECTION
Candidates for county supervisor, city council explain positions
This fall, Santa Cruz Local surveyed and interviewed residents across Santa Cruz County. We wanted to understand voters’ concerns so we could press the candidates ahead of the March 5 local elections. Nearly all of the candidates’ answers are now in Santa Cruz Local’s Election Guide.
Find in-depth information about the following races:
Santa Cruz County Supervisor District 1 (Live Oak, Pleasure Point, Soquel, Summit)
Santa Cruz City Council District 5 (UC Santa Cruz, Harvey West)
Read Santa Cruz Local’s Election Guide
MARCH 5 ELECTION
Explainer: Measure N, the Pajaro Valley Health Care District bond
Pajaro Valley Health Care District’s northern border includes Rio Del Mar Boulevard, Freedom Boulevard, Browns Valley Road, Hazel Dell Road and the Santa Cruz County line. The district formed in February 2022 and includes parts of Santa Cruz and Monterey counties. (Local Agency Formation Commission)
Measure N on the March 5 ballot would allow the Pajaro Valley Health Care District to issue $116 million in bonds to buy the land at Watsonville Community Hospital and make improvements.
- Property owners in the district would pay $24 per $100,000 of assessed property value annually for 30 years or until the bond is paid off.
- The measure will appear on ballots of voters in the Pajaro Valley Health Care District. The district spans from Aptos to Las Lomas in Monterey County, with boundaries similar to the Pajaro Valley Unified School District.
- The measure needs more than two-thirds of the vote to be adopted.
Read more about Measure N
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